Morgan Kaolian/AEROPIX Manuel Moutinho's home in Stratford, Conn., June 20th, 2013. The recently constructed shared driveway on Sikorsky Memorial Airport property can be seenleading to a neighbor's house.

A new section of road recently constructed on Sikorsky Memorial Airport property, in Stratford, Conn., June 9th, 2013. Manuel Moutinho's home can be seen here in the upper left. Morgan Kaolian AEROPIX
Photo: Morgan Kaolian AEROPIX

BRIDGEPORT -- The manager of Sikorsky Memorial Airport was fired Thursday even as the FBI eyeballs the $400,000 driveway that city taxpayers unwittingly bought for his long-time business partner.

Mayor Bill Finch terminated John Ricci from his $94,000-year-job running the city-owned Sikorsky for not revealing his real estate dealings with millionaire developer Manuel "Manny" Moutinho. Ricci and the city attorney's office hired Moutinho to build a no-bid, 1,000-foot gravel driveway over airport land to Moutinho's waterfront mansion in Stratford.

City officials have maintained they needed to replace an older dirt driveway used by Moutinho and three neighboring property owners because it will be eliminated as part of a runway safety project.

Hearst Connecticut Newspapers first reported on the pricey driveway in June soon after its quiet completion.

A neighboring condominum association has since won a zoning lawsuit against the project, leaving Moutinho and the Finch adminsitration scrambling to figure out how to save the driveway from being torn up.

The mayor's decision to terminate Ricci comes as the FBI and U.S. Attorney's office are looking at the debacle, according to sources. The federal government is paying for a majority of the $40 million safety upgrade at Sikorsky.

Sources said law enforcement authorities are attempting to determine whether federal dollars were used inappropriately.

Moutinho was already in the FBI's sights. The agency is probing his botched sewer project in Trumbull.

As if that was not enough to keep the scandal brewing, Ricci is likely not going to give up the job he has held for 23 years without a fight.

Ricci could not be reached for comment Thursday. But Edward Gavin, an attorney for the Bridgeport City Supervisors Union, said Ricci will fight to get his job back.

"And I would encourage him to file a lawsuit against the city," Gavin said.

Finch in his statement said Ricci was fired for "reckless and intentional misconduct."

On June 5, the mayor suspended the airport manager with pay after Hearst asked what the administration knew of Ricci's long friendship and real estate dealings with Moutinho.

As long ago as 1986, Ricci -- a former mayoral aid -- was selling housing units for Moutinho, a then up-and-coming developer.

And land records show Ricci engaged in about a half-dozen property transactions with Moutinho and his family between 1986 and 2012.

On Thursday, John Bohannon, an attorney for the city involved in the Ricci matter, said the whole controversy could have been easily avoided if the airport manager had recused himself.

"All that man had to do was step aside," Bohannon said.

Ricci told Hearst prior to his suspension that the Finch administration knew about his relationship with Moutinho.

"I made that clear to the airport commission (which includes Finch and City Council President Thomas McCarthy, D-133) and the city attorney's office," Ricci said.

Bohannon said Ricci told Lisa Trachtenburg, the city attorney overseeing the airport safety project, that he had "a long personal relationship with Mr. Moutinho."

"It's very common (that) people have long personal relationships who deal with one another in the city," Bohannon said.

The problem, Bohannon said, is Ricci did not mention a long personal business relationship with Moutinho.

Bohannon said Ricci -- "during a car ride" -- confided in subordinate Steve Ford, the airport superintendent of operations, that he should recuse himself from dealings on the driveway. But Bohannon said Ricci never mentioned it to the right people, including Trachtenburg, Public Facilities Manager Charles Carroll -- Ricci's supervisor, or Chief Administrative Officer Andrew Nunn.

"You told Mr. Ford you should recuse yourself ... You're not telling people who could make a difference," Bohannon said. "It all created the specter of impropriety in a totally unnecessary way."

Bohannon said there was no evidence Ricci received any direct financial gain.

"I can tell you he was actively continuing to do business with Mr. Moutinho and Mr. Moutinho held mortgages on one of the properties for Mr. Ricci. So they were actively doing business at the time," Bohannon said.

Finch said, as a result, department heads and employees involved in procurement will file annual disclosure forms in which the staffer must reveal any financial or personal interests that may conflict with city contracts.

Ricci made it clear to the Only in Bridgeport news blog Thursday that he is not going away quietly.

In a lengthy statement Ricci wrote that he had recused himself by revealing a "long history" with Moutinho to "everyone involved."

Ricci also said Trachtenburg asked him to approach Moutinho -- who had already obtained permits from the Town of Stratford to build a $200,000 driveway -- about Bridgeport taking over the work because she knew Ricci had "direct access" to the developer.

"During the entire process of getting the access road constructed I made no assumptions or decisions regarding method of procurement, final choice of contractor, or award of contract for construction," Ricci wrote.

Finch's predecessor, former Mayor John Fabrizi -- also a Democrat -- said he was not surprised Ricci was fired.

"It seems to be a trend with this administration when there is controversy of firing the person, buying out the person or laying off the person," he said. "Bottom line, they're deflecting the blame. John Ricci has been a good and loyal employee. He's worked well with me and other mayors."

Fabrizi also questioned the objectivity of an internal investigation.

"In no way shape or form should Labor Relations have handled this issue," Fabrizi said. "Obviously they (the administration) can control the entire route."

The City Council is scheduled to discuss the driveway Monday with the Finch administration.

The mayor's office has said the $400,000 was part of $3 million the council borrowed last September for its share of the Sikorsky runway safety work. But council members have said they knew nothing about the driveway until Hearst reported on the project in June.

The administration has also not produced any evidence that it had notified the council about the driveway.

"I'm hoping we get more of the story and the rationale for firing Mr. Ricci," said Councilman Steven Stafstrom, D-130, who was appointed earlier this year to fill a vacancy. "I feel like there's still a lot we need to know. I think there's a lot of corrective action that still needs to be taken."

While the council has said it intends to review the city's purchasing procedures, Finch Thursday said the administration is already doing so. He said that several weeks ago the city hired John King, a partner in the law firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, and New Britain City Attorney, and Hugh Manke, a senior principal in the firm and a specialist in municipal land use matters, to review procurement guidelines and pay particular attention to the airport issue.

"My biggest concern is the public perception of this whole thing," Stafstrom said. "It's become a huge black eye for the city and become a distraction to a lot of the really strong economic development projects."